Politics
A close look at the inner workings of authoritarian power in Russia and beyond, and the forces that could one day transform it: how the Kremlin holds and wields power, why the democratic opposition endures, and what a genuine political renewal would take
Putin’s Friends on the New Political Map of Europe
2017 was quite a successful year for the European project. Far-right parties did not win in key countries such as France and Germany. Or, rather, the consolidation of…
The ghost of Crimea in the Catalan referendum: how to defy claims to independence
More than 2.25 million people turned out for Sunday's referendum across Catalonia, a region in the northeast of Spain. The regional government said 90% of voters were in…
The Russian Question in German Elections
On the 24th of September, the elections to the German Federal Parliament took place and their results pose more questions to the country’s ruling elites than they provide…
Zapad 2017: be concerned, avoid panic
Zapad 2017 seems to be all the buzz this week in Washington, DC and many European capitals. To get the basics straight on this Russian military exercise and…
How Non-State Actors Export Kleptocratic Norms to the West
When the Soviet empire collapsed in 1991, it was widely believed that Western-style democracy and liberal capitalism based on free elections, separation of powers and the rule of…
Conclusions from exposing security threats of Nord Stream-2 and post-Soviet corruption in the West
As part of my work for Free Russia Foundation, I am carrying out research on two projects. The first one is devoted to influencing that Gazprom and its…
To hack elections. How to turn a boycott into political instrument
Every single time when Russia faces upcoming elections, there are appeals being heard to boycott them. It is crucial, however, to do that in a right way. The…
A millstone around neck
The “presidential election” in Russia on March 18, 2018, is not going to resolve the issue of who is going to rule Russia. This is because this question…
Turning a blind eye can lead to new tragedies
In January President Trump exchanged some harsh words with Australian Prime Minister Turnbull. He was very frustrated, having inherited from Obama the agreement to resettle 1,500 refugees from…
Roshka and Russian Hackers. The GRU broke into French President’s mail box
Last week, the Insider, a Russian independent online media outlet, published an investigation on how Russian intelligence agencies were involved in hacking the mailbox of the French President…